The proliferation of large size personal recreation equipment, predominantly skis and surfboards, and the increasing popularity of open-bed, pick-up type trucks, especially of the so-called mini-truck size has posed a problem to users. The cabs of such vehicles are not deep enough to permit mounting of the racks in the desired spaced relation, or lack the trough-like gutters needed to mount conventional racks for skis and surfboards. Leaving such equipment loose in the bottom of the truck bed is hazardous from both a safety and a theft point of view.
As is known conventional racks are rigid members the central portion of which bridge the vehicle roof, and whose end portions terminate in clamps having a tougue and keeper structure which engages the vehicle roof gutters on opposite sides and is tightenable by a threaded pin to keep the rack secure to the vehicle. The rack defines equipment support means such as straps for surfboards or pivoted arms for skis which cooperate with the rack central portion to removably hold sporting equipment to the rack.
Truck bed side walls afford no purchase for conventional racks, and thus until the present invention there has been no satisfactory means of attaching such racks to truck beds, making it difficult and inconvenient for truck users to carry their sporting equipment with them safely and securely.